Hourglass pillow with internal baffle

ABSTRACT

A pillow cover includes first and second panels joined to one another at front and rear edges to form upper and lower surfaces and side panels joined to the first and second panels at their respective peripheries. The side panels sides each have enlarged end portions with a thinning middle section to define an hourglass shape. The enlarged end portions having a major dimension. A baffle panel is joined to the first and second panels and extends between the side panels. The baffle panel has a height dimension less than the major dimension. The first and second panels, the side panels and the baffle panel define two continuous internal volumes. The baffle panel maintains the pillow in an hourglass shape. The side panels are symmetrical front to back. A filled pillow having an hourglass shape is also disclosed.

BACKGROUND

A pillow typically includes an outer layer or cover, such as a pillow shell, generally made of a fabric material that defines an internal space configured to house a padding or filler material. Most pillow are generally rectangular in shape when viewed from the top or bottom and have an arcuate or slightly bulging profile when viewed from the side, or in cross-section.

Other pillows may have specific shapes, such as recesses or troughs when viewed in cross-section. However, in order to achieve such shapes, the pillows are typically filled with a one piece, e.g., solid block foam element or other material having that particular shape. While such “shaped” pillows are common and in widespread use, they do not have the typical comfort level of a loosely filled pillow, such as a pillow filled with a fiber or feather fill.

Fiber or filled pillows may take a particular shape by virtue of the shape of the pillow shell. However, the fill in filled pillows will shift and may collect in or two areas such that the pillow loses the desired shape, such that the pillow may not provide the support or level of comfort desired.

Accordingly, there is a need for a filled pillow that has a desired, non-rectangular shape. Desirably, such a pillow is configured such that in use, the fill remains in a desired area or volume of the pillow.

SUMMARY

A pillow includes first and second panels joined to one another at front and rear edges to form upper and lower surfaces and side panels joined to the first and second panels at their respective peripheries. The side panels sides each have enlarged end portions with a thinning middle section to define an hourglass shape. The enlarged end portions have a major dimension.

A baffle panel is joined to the first and second panels and extends between the side panels. The baffle panel has a height dimension less than the major dimension. In an embodiment the pillow includes a fill material, such as a polyester fill. The baffle panel maintains the filled pillow in a desired, non-rectangular shape, such an hourglass shape, which has been found to provide ergonomic benefits.

The first and second panels, the side panels and the baffle panel define two continuous internal volumes. The baffle panel maintains the pillow in an hourglass shape. The baffle panel is spaced from the side panels so as to define spaces between the baffle panel and the side panels. The spaces permit communication between the two continuous internal volumes.

The baffle panel can extend to ends of the first and second panels and can terminate at the ends of the first and second panels. In such a configuration, the baffle panel is not joined to the side panels, and defines the spaces between the baffle panel and the side panels. The side panels can be identical to one another and can be symmetrical front to back.

An embodiment of a pillow cover includes first and second panels joined to one another at front and rear edges to form upper and lower surfaces and side panels joined to the first and second panels at their respective peripheries. The side panels each have enlarged end portions with a thinning middle section to define an hourglass shape. The enlarged end portions have a major dimension.

A baffle panel is joined to the first and second panels and extends between the side panels. The baffle panel has a height dimension less than the major dimension, the baffle panel being not joined to the side panels so as to define spaces between the baffle panel and the side panels. The first and second panels, the side panels and the baffle panel define two continuous internal volumes and the spaces between the baffle panel and the side panels permit communication between the two continuous internal volumes. The baffle panel maintains the pillow in an hourglass shape. The side panels can be symmetrical front to back.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts, elements, components, steps, and processes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example of an hourglass shaped pillow according to an embodiment disclosed herein, the pillow being shown with an internal baffle shown in phantom lines;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the pillow of FIG. 1, again showing the internal baffle panel in phantom lines;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the pillow, the bottom view being similar thereto;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, shown partially broken away to illustrate an example of the fill and the baffle panel;

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While the present disclosure is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, there is shown in the drawings and will hereinafter be described one or more embodiments with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered illustrative only and is not intended to limit the disclosure to any specific embodiment described or illustrated.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pillow 10 according to an embodiment described herein. The pillow 10 includes a first panel 12 and a second panel 14 (e.g., a top panel and a bottom panel) and a pair of side or gusset panels 16. The top and bottom panels 12, 14, are joined to one another, as by stitching, along end lines 18 to define a top 20 and a bottom 22 of the pillow 10. The gusset panels 16 are joined to the top and bottom panels 12, 14, also by stitching, to form sides 24 of the pillow 10. In an embodiment, as illustrated in the figures, the pillow 10 has an hourglass shape. That is, the sides 24 have enlarged ends 26 with a thinning middle section 28. The enlarged, hourglass ends 26 have a major dimension d₂₆. The top and bottom panels 12, 14, likewise curve around the front and rear of the pillow 10, and converge toward one another at the middle region 28 of the pillow 10 to further define the hourglass shape. The gusset panels 16 can be identical to one another and can be symmetrical, front 27-to-back 29 of the pillow 10. Alternately, the gusset panels 16 can be asymmetrical such that the front 27 or back 29 of the pillow 10 has a larger major dimension d₂₆ than the other.

As seen in the figures, the pillow 10 includes a central baffle panel 30. The baffle panel 30 extends from the top panel 12 to the bottom panel 14 and is joined to each by, for example, stitching as indicated at 32. The stitching 32 extends toward, but not fully to, the gusset panels 16. That is, the baffle panel 30 is joined to the top and bottom panels 12, 14, but is not joined to the gusset panels 16. Alternately, the baffle panel 30 may be joined to the gusset panels 16, but only in part, so as to maintain openings or spaces 34 between two internal volume regions 36, 38 defined by the top and bottom panels 12, 14, the gusset panels 16 and the baffle panel 30.

Viewed another way, the baffle panel 30 is joined to the top and bottom panels 12, 14, to define the two separate but continuous internal volume regions 36, 38. In an embodiment, the baffle panel 30 may terminate spaced from the ends 40 of the top and bottom panels 12, 14, as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. Alternately, the baffle panel 30 can extend fully between the top and bottom panels 12, 14. In both configurations, the baffle panel 30 is not joined to the gusset panels 16, thus defining the spaces or openings 34 between the baffle panel 30 and the gusset panels 16, to allow movement of fill F between the internal volumes 36, 38. Alternately still, the baffle panel 30 may be joined in part to the gusset panels 16, but may be joined in such a manner as to maintain the spaces or openings 34 between the internal volumes 36, 38.

It will be understood that the fill F can be a fiber fill, such as a polyester fiber fill, foam, shredded foam, feather, down or any other known fill material and combinations thereof. All such fill materials are within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

In an embodiment, the baffle panel 30 has a height h₃₀ that is less than a maximum height across the internal volumes (e.g., across the major dimension d₂₆ of the gusset panel 16). In such a configuration, the baffle panel 30 maintains the hourglass shape (the thinned middle section 28) by maintaining the top and bottom panels 12, 14, nearer to one another than at a location along the enlarged end sections 26. That is, the pillow 10 has a greater height within the internal volumes 36, 38 than at the partition between the internal volumes (as at the baffle panel 30).

It will be understood that any or all of the panels 12, 14, 16, 30 can be formed from a mesh material.

Importantly, the internal baffle 30 that creates the hourglass shape creates a nestling area A through the length of the pillow 10, between the top and bottom panels 12, 14 and the two hourglass gusset panels 16. This configuration holds the fill F in two separate compartments (the internal volumes 36, 38) so that the fill F stays in the important support area N under the user's neck. The fill F is allowed to move between the two volumes 36, 38, but only minimally, and not so much as to allow the fill F to bunch or collect in one volume 36 or 38 in favor of the other volume. This configuration provides a non-rectangular (hourglass) design, which has been found to provide ergonomic benefits in that it maintains support for the user's neck and provides a cradling or nestling area A for the user's head.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the relative directional terms such as top, bottom, sides, front, rear and the like are for explanatory purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. All patents referred to herein, are hereby incorporated herein by reference, whether or not specifically done so within the text of this disclosure.

In the present disclosure, the words “a” or “an” are to be taken to include both the singular and the plural. Conversely, any reference to plural items shall, where appropriate, include the singular.

From the foregoing, it should also be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently disclosed embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure and without diminishing its intended advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims. 

The invention claimed is:
 1. A pillow comprising: first and second panels joined to one another at front and rear edges to form upper and lower surfaces; side panels joined to the first and second panels at their respective peripheries, the side panels each have enlarged end portions with only one thinning middle section to define an hourglass shape, the enlarged end portions having a major dimension; a central baffle panel, separate from the first and second panels, joined to the first and second panels and extending between the side panels to create the thinning middle section of each side panel, the central baffle panel having a height dimension less than the major dimension, the thinning middle section of each side panel having a height dimension that is slightly greater than the height dimension of the central baffle panel but is less than the major dimension, and wherein the height dimension of the central baffle panel, the height dimension of each thinning middle section, and the major dimension of each enlarged end portion are all parallel to one another; and a fill material, wherein the first and second panels, the side panels and the central baffle panel define two continuous internal volumes and wherein the central baffle panel maintains the pillow in an hourglass shape.
 2. The pillow of claim 1 wherein the central baffle panel is spaced from the side panels so as to define a space between the central baffle panel and the side panels.
 3. The pillow of claim 1 wherein the central baffle panel extends to ends of the first and second panels.
 4. The pillow of claim 3 wherein the central baffle panel terminates at the ends of the first and second panels and wherein the central baffle panel is not joined to the side panels so as to define spaces between the central baffle panel and the side panels.
 5. The pillow of claim 1 wherein the fill material is a polyester.
 6. The pillow of claim 1 wherein the side panels are identical to one another in an hourglass shape.
 7. The pillow of claim 1 wherein the side panels are symmetrical front to back about a center line.
 8. A pillow cover comprising: first and second panels joined to one another at front and rear edges to form upper and lower surfaces; side panels joined to the first and second panels at their respective peripheries, the side panels each have enlarged end portions with only one thinning middle section to define an hourglass shape, the enlarged end portions having a major dimension; and a central baffle panel, separate from the first and second panels, joined to the first and second panels and extending between the side panels to create the thinning middle section of each side panel, the central baffle panel having a height dimension less than the major dimension, the central baffle panel being not joined to the side panels so as to define spaces between the central baffle panel and the side panels, the thinning middle section of each side panel having a height dimension that is slightly greater than the height dimension of the central baffle panel but is less than the major dimension, and wherein the height dimension of the central baffle panel the height dimension of each thinning middle section, and the major dimension of each enlarged end portion are all parallel to one another; wherein the first and second panels, the side panels and the central baffle panel define two continuous internal volumes, the spaces between the central baffle panel and the side panels permitting communication between the two continuous internal volumes and wherein the central baffle panel maintains the pillow in an hourglass shape.
 9. The pillow cover of claim 8 wherein the central baffle panel extends to ends of the first and second panels.
 10. The pillow cover of claim 9 wherein the central baffle panel terminates at the ends of the first and second panels.
 11. The pillow cover of claim 8 wherein the side panels are identical to one another in an hourglass shape.
 12. The pillow cover of claim 8 wherein the side panels are symmetrical front to back about a center line. 